Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland Return, Anthony Alfredo Joins Team
David Ragan to Enter Daytona 500
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 6, 2021) – The 2021 Front Row Motorsports (FRM) driver lineup will feature both familiar and new faces to the organization. Michael McDowell will once again pilot the No. 34 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Anthony Alfredo will drive the No. 38 Ford Mustang in his first year at the Cup level. Todd Gilliland will return to the No. 38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In addition, David Ragan will once again pilot the No. 36 Ford Mustang in the Daytona 500 after finishing fourth last season.
Alfredo will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the 2021 Daytona 500 and will compete for Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year honors. A member of the 2018 NASCAR Next Class, Alfredo continues the youth movement at FRM. Having raced for owners Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Childress, Alfredo has proven to be successful in a quick progression through the sport. He will work with veteran crew chief Seth Barbour in 2021.
“This is really an unbelievable moment,” said Alfredo. “When you start out racing karts as a kid, you dream of making it to the sport’s top level. I want to thank Bob Jenkins and everyone at Front Row Motorsports for making this dream a reality. I know the challenges ahead, but I’m here to work hard and prove myself.”
“We met Anthony and spent time with him when last season ended,” added owner, Bob Jenkins. “We wanted another young driver and someone that fit well into our team. We feel that Anthony is a great match and we look forward to this season together.”
McDowell returns to the wheel of the No. 34 alongside crew chief Drew Blickensderfer for their third- consecutive season together. McDowell and Blickensderfer had an organization-best season in 2020. The duo combined for four top-10 finishes – the most in the team’s history.
“Michael has really solidified his place as our veteran leader,” continued Jenkins. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that has helped us continue to grow our program.”
“Despite all of its challenges, our 2020 season was one of the best in FRM history,” said McDowell. “I feel like we’ve really been able to hit our stride and I’m excited to channel that momentum into a new season.”
Returning to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for his second season with Front Row Motorsports, Todd Gilliland will again work with crew chief Chris Lawson. Gilliland earned 10 top-10 and four top-five finishes in the 2020 season, leading FRM to a playoff berth in its first season in the series.
“Our debut season in the Truck Series with Todd was very successful,” said Jenkins. “We qualified for the Playoffs and had some great runs throughout the year. We’re excited to continue those accomplishments into the future.”
“I’m thrilled to return to Front Row Motorsports next year,” said Gilliland. “Bob has been great to drive for and we’ve got a solid foundation to build up our program moving forward.”
Finally, FRM will enter David Ragan in the Daytona 500 in the No. 36 Ford Mustang. Derrick Finley will partner with Ragan. The team finished fourth in last year’s 500 race.
Front Row Motorsports has competed full time in NASCAR’s premier series since 2009. The 2021 season will mark Front Row Motorsports’ 12th with Ford Performance, the team’s manufacturing partner since expanding to a multi-car organization in 2010.
FRM will announce all team partners leading into the Daytona 500 and throughout the season.
About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Bill McAnally Racing made its debut in what was then known as the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1992 at Shasta Speedway in Anderson, California, with car owner Bill McAnally behind the wheel.
In the 28 years since then, BMR has won nine series championships – a record for the series and for all of NASCAR Regional Touring. In addition, the team has scored a record 99 wins overall in what became the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
Although McAnally was initially an owner/driver, he eventually opted to turn over the driving duty and focus on his role as a team owner. Including McAnally, 80 drivers have wheeled a BMR entry in the series now branded as the ARCA Menards Series West. Some drove for BMR in multiple seasons, some for only one season, and some for a select race or races.
There’s also a long list of crew members who contributed to the success of the team based in Roseville, California. Some of them called the shots as crew chiefs, some honed their skills as specialists and some worked as general mechanics. Some moved on and worked their way up to a team at the national level in NASCAR and some chose to remain on the West Coast.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some very talented drivers at BMR and we’ve had some great crew members through the years, as well,” said McAnally. “Together, they deserve the credit for BMR’s record success.
“It’s been great to see drivers develop their skills with our team,” he said. “Some spent multiple seasons with the team, as they honed their talent in the series, and others passed through more quickly as they moved up the NASCAR ladder. Others took advantage of the opportunity with BMR to compete in a select event or get experience at a particular track.”
Many crewmembers have done likewise, according to McAnally.
“Some crewmembers chose to remain on the West Coast and some chose to move on after gaining experience,” he said. “When you walk through the garage at a Cup Series, XFINITY Series or Truck Series race, it’s remarkable to see the number of crew members there who worked at BMR.”
Drivers who have competed in the series in a BMR entry, meanwhile, include current NASCAR Cup Series regulars Christopher Bell, with three BMR starts; Clint Bowyer, two starts; Alex Bowman, one start; Cole Custer, with four starts and one win; and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., with one start. The list also features Chase Briscoe, three starts; Riley Herbst, 16 starts; Bryan Herta, one start; Trevor Bayne, one start; Travis Pastrana, two starts; Sarah Fisher, 13 starts; Kerry Earnhardt, eight starts; and Michael Waltrip, seven starts. Even legendary driver Hershel McGriff competed in 16 events for BMR.
Eric Holmes tops the list of drivers with starts and wins for BMR, competing for the team in 81 series events and scoring 15 of his 17 career series wins with BMR. A three-time series champion, he captured two of those titles with BMR, in 2008 and 2010. In addition to his victories, Holmes notched 44 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes in BMR’s iconic blue and gold NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry.
Austin Cameron and Todd Gilliland are tied for second on the team’s list of winners.
Cameron scored 13 of his 15 career series victories with BMR. His 44 starts in a BMR entry, meanwhile, ranks him fifth in that category. A major win for Cameron and BMR came in the inaugural NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, a prestigious post-season event that drew drivers and teams from across the country to California’s Irwindale Speedway.
Brendan Gaughan in Victory Lane with Bill McAnally Racing at Fontana, California in 2001. (Courtesy BMR)
Gilliland also had 13 series wins with BMR. In addition, he captured two championships, with back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. In his two full seasons with BMR, Gilliland also scored five wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Derek Kraus is fourth on the list of BMR wins in the K&N West. He scored 10 wins in 42 starts during his three years racing in the series for BMR – capping things off with a championship in 2019.
Rounding out the top five list among drivers with wins at BMR is Chris Eggleston, who notched nine victories. He captured the series title in 2015 and his 45 series starts with BMR ranks him fourth on that list.
Other drivers who captured a series championship with McAnally were Brendan Gaughan – who won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, while scoring eight wins – and Sean Woodside, who won BMR’s first series championship in 1999.
Ranked second in terms of series starts at BMR, is Moses Smith – who raced for the team in 64 events. Smith, a four-time Most Popular Driver in the series, accumulated 17 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes between 2007 and 2011.
McAnally’s 56 starts ranks him third on the list of races with BMR. He registered three top-five and 16 top-10 finishes while building the team from its infancy.
Seven crew chiefs, meanwhile, have won championships with the McAnally-led team. Shane Wilson and Chris Lawson lead the way, each with a pair of titles. Wilson teamed with Gaughan in winning championships in 2000 and 2001. Lawson was paired with Gilliland as he won titles in 2016 and 2017. Wilson went on to win races as a crew chief in all three of NASCAR’s national series, as well as winning a championship in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Lawson continued on as a key member at DGR-Crosley.
Other championship crew chiefs at BMR include John Camilleri, who won the title last year with Kraus behind the wheel, and Roger Bracken, who was the champion crew chief with Eggleston in 2015. Camilleri and Bracken serve as crew chiefs at BMR this season.
Also winning championships as crew chiefs at BMR were Matt Goslant, with Holmes in 2010; Ty Joiner, with Holmes in 2008; and Chris Diederich, with Woodside in 1999. Joiner also won a title with Holmes for car owner Allen Beebe in 2006.
Rookie drivers at BMR have also captured the series spotlight through the years, with six drivers winning the Rookie of the Year Award. They include Andrew Lewis in 2005, Peyton Sellers in 2006, Paulie Harraka in 2009, Todd Gilliland in 2016, Derek Kraus in 2017 and Hailie Deegan in 2018.
Deegan set several major records while driving for BMR. In her rookie season, she became the first female driver to win a series race and the first woman to win a pole award in the series. She went on to also become the first woman to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the series.
In 2019, Deegan became the first woman to lead the championship standings of a series at the regional or national levels of NASCAR. In finishing third in points that year, she set a new mark for the highest ranking by a female driver in the final standings in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, East or West.
